Have you ever wondered what it is like to beat a Guinness World Record of 23, 727 jack-o-lanterns lit at once? The record is held by Keene, NH and this Saturday the Life is Good Pumpkin Festival will attempt to break the record. The USM Student Nurse Organization (SNO) is a sponsor of this event and has reserved space for pumpkin carving in Woodbury Campus Center in Portland from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m..
All benefits of the event will go to Camp Sunshine – a retreat in Casco, Maine which supports children with life threatening illnesses. The College of Nursing which has a partnership with Camp Sunshine is the primary USM sponsor
About 1000 pumpkins will be supplied by the festival and sent to the Campus Center in the morning said Wainwright. After the pumpkin carving session in the campus center is over SNO will send the pumpkins to Deering Oaks to be lit. “We would like to gather as many people and as many organizations as possible…any help would be greatly appreciated,” she said.
The festival is one of the programs SNO is proud to be actively involved in organizing. Kelly Wainwright, president of SNO said they do many other fund-raisers and believe that working with the kids in the camp is one of the best experiences.. The camp has a unique program in the nation to address the impact of a critical illness on every member of the immediate family. According to Carol Doane, instructor in the college of nursing, the nursing students have been going to the camp for their pediatric clinical for the past five years.
The idea of founding it was born in 1984. After watching a TV program on a camp for children with cancer, Dr. Larry and Anna Gould decided to donate the facilities of their resort to the camp four weeks each year. The demand was so high that the Goulds donated 15 acres of their land and a permanent facility was opened in June, 2001.
The carving will begin at 9 a.m in the campus center and the pumpkins will be supplied. From 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. in Deering Oaks Park the community is invited to join in the festivities for the opportunity to create a new Guinness record.